US PS3 Shortages Won't Be Solved For Three Months

If you're a member of the (blind? deaf?) queue that continues to wait for Sony's late, overpriced and crippled 'European PS3' then you should know the latest setback...
In an interview with Reuters Jack Tretton, Sony's Computer Entertainment CEO, said he doesn't expect widespread stock availability of the PlayStation 3 until May in North America.

"April or May is when we feel like we're going to catch up to demand and have product fully in stock across North America and stay there," said Tretton who then put the usual Sony spin on things: "It's a testament to the fact that we've been able to manufacture and ship units on a greater pace than any previous console."

Finally, you wouldn't be surprised in the least when he concluded: "Our goal is to fill shelves across the United States. Our goal is not to have empty shelves, it's to have full shelves", but Europe be damned...?

Funnily enough, for all Tretton's words, actual sales figures show the PS3 is lagging significantly behind its rivals. In January the console shipped just 244,000 units compared to 294,000 Xbox 360s and a massive 436,000 Wiis.

I wonder when Europe will eventually receive enough of its broken stock to help bolster those figures?